SPYROS GERAVELIS LANDSCAPE DESIGN

​

Trees in the City

From an article to the residents of the city of Rhodes

Trees in cities play a significant role in the well-being and health of residents, the economy, and in mitigating the effects of climate change. Urban trees and green spaces provide numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits, such as improving air quality, regulating temperature, reducing energy consumption, managing stormwater, absorbing carbon dioxide, enhancing the mental well-being of residents, and increasing biodiversity.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air through photosynthesis, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to mitigate global warming. They also provide shade, cooling urban areas and reducing the urban heat island effect, which in turn reduces energy demand for air conditioning. Trees filter dust and particulate pollution and reduce noise pollution. Additionally, trees help reduce the impact of flooding by absorbing excess water and preventing soil erosion.

Urban trees and green spaces also contribute to the economic prosperity of cities by increasing property values, attracting tourists, and providing employment opportunities.

In conclusion, trees play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being and economic development of urban areas, as well as in combating climate change.

The city of Rhodes has approximately 12,000 trees in tree-lined streets, parks, schools, and other public spaces. The majority of them are quite old and grow in unfavorable conditions, such as compacted and sealed soils with asphalt and concrete, limited space for crown development, which leads to repeated pruning, etc. Root cutting also often occurs during the execution of underground infrastructure works. Climate change, with extreme temperatures and drought, weakens the trees, a phenomenon observed in all cities.

As a result, there is a rapid decline in the number of trees in the city and a loss of their significant benefits. Planting new trees is, of course, the first solution that comes to mind and is essential, but a new tree will require many years to reach a size that compensates for the benefits of a large tree that is lost. Therefore, it is very important to preserve the existing trees so that the invaluable benefits they provide are not lost. The most frequent intervention for the maintenance of trees is pruning.

It is important to recognize that trees, in general, do not need pruning. Pruning is typically done for purposes related to human needs. Urban trees are pruned for specific reasons. The most important ones are:

• Safety of people and infrastructure,

• Creating space for circulation, buildings, construction works, etc.,

• Prevention and management of pests and tree diseases,

• Enhancing aesthetic value,

• Managing trees to maximize benefits at a reasonable cost.

It is not a reason to prune a tree the fact that:

• It sheds leaves,

• It drops fruit or flowers,

• It reduces the view,

• It drips excretions from insects, birds, etc.,

• It is too large,

• It is blamed for causing allergies.

Pruning should take place after careful inspection and evaluation of the tree by a qualified arborist, who will assess the health, growth pattern, stability, and structure of the tree. The findings of this inspection will form the basis for the pruning approach.

Pruning mainly involves removing dead or dangerous branches or slightly reducing the crown where necessary, except in special cases. Large cuts should be avoided because wounds serve as entry points for pathogens and can cause the tree to rot. Additionally, severe pruning leads to the creation of many new shoots with poor support, which later pose a risk of breakage, making the tree dangerous, and significantly weakens the tree, shortening its lifespan.

We kindly ask residents to consider the above points when requesting pruning services from the Municipality, so that their requests are reasonable and feasible.